Optical data storage is generally limited by the optical resolution of the read/write-system. Straightforward methods of increasing the optical resolution include using a shorter wavelength and a larger numerical aperture NA, at the costs of lens complexity. As an alternative a so-called super-resolution near field structure (Super-RENS) can be placed directly above a data layer of the optical recording medium. The super-RENS technology makes use of an active layer which has the ability to change its optical properties (i.e. the n and k value) in a nonlinear way when the applied laser intensity exceeds a certain threshold. This is caused by a change of physical and/or chemical parameters of the layer material, either due to the light exposure itself or due to a temperature increase caused by the laser beam. With an adequate adjustment of the laser power the region with different optical properties becomes smaller than the laser spot itself, which enables the read-out of pit or mark structures smaller than the diffraction limit. Optical recording media with such an active layer offer the possibility to increase the data density by a factor of 3 to 4 in one dimension compared to a regular optical recording medium. Super-RENS structures formed of a metal oxide or a polymer compound for recording of data and a phase-change layer formed of a GeSbTe or a AgInSbTe (AIST, a compound of silver, indium, antimony, and tellurium) based structure for reproducing of data are known from WO 2005/081242 and US 2004/0257968, respectively. A further example of a super-RENS structure is described in WO 2004/032123. Unfortunately, such materials suffer from degradation, which increases with the number of read-out cycles. This results in a reduced efficiency of the super-RENS effect and, therefore, a lower performance of the system. In case of a excessive degradation the read-out of the optical recording medium can fail completely.